LL Cool J Presents The Streets Win 50 Years of Hip-Hop Greatness

Authored by hip-hop legend LL Cool J, this momentous volume celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the influential culture, sound, and preeminent voices of American hip-hop music.

LL Cool J Presents The Streets Win commemorates the birth, rise, and progression of hip-hop’s culture and its indisputable impact on American music over the past fifty years. LL Cool J presents the journey of this music genre through rarely seen photographs of the hip-hop scene “back in the day,” from block party performances to street shots, parties, sessions at recording studios, and more. Nostalgic imagery is accompanied by first-person recollections from hip-hop’s MCs, B-Boys, graffiti artists, DJs, and rappers, who share how they broke into the business, their artistic and personal style inspiration, and their views on hip-hop’s culture and music. Stories are told by the legendary DJ Kool Herc, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, MC Lyte, KRS-One, Biz Markie, Queen Latifah, Grandmaster Flash, The Sugarhill Gang, Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Slick Rick, Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Big Daddy Kane, Fat Joe, Ice-T, N.W.A., Lil’ Kim, Russell Simmons, the estates of Big Pun, ODB, DMX, and more.

Each page features a treasure trove of images by celebrated hip-hop photographers including Joe Conzo Jr., Ernie “Brother Ernie” Paniccioli, Buddy Esquire, Richie Marando, Afrika Bambaataa, and others who documented the early years; ephemera such as album covers, notebook drawings, and lyrics; party announcements; street scenes; clothing; and graffiti art. This definitive volume on the greatest legends of hip-hop over the last fifty years is the perfect gift for music and photography fans.

LL Cool J is an American rapper, Grammy Award–winning songwriter, record producer, and actor. Vikki Tobak is an author, journalist, and curator of music photography and contemporary culture. Alec Banks is a journalist and the editorial director of Rock the Bells.